Far East Fleet (United Kingdom)


The Far East Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy which existed between 1952 and 1971.
During the Second World War, the Eastern Fleet included many ships and personnel from other navies, including those of the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. On 22 November 1944 the Eastern Fleet was re-designated East Indies fleet and continued to be based in Trincomalee. Following its re-designation its remaining ships formed the British Pacific Fleet. In December 1945 the British Pacific Fleet was disbanded and its forces were absorbed into the East Indies Fleet. In 1952 The East Indies Fleet was renamed the Far East Fleet. After the Second World War the East Indies Station continued as a separate command to the Far East until 1958. In 1971 the Far East Fleet was abolished and its remaining forces returned home, coming under the command of the new, unified, Commander-in-Chief Fleet.

Post-war

After the war, the East Indies Fleet was once again based at the Singapore Naval Base. The 1st Aircraft Carrier Squadron HMS Glory and ) arrived from the British Pacific Fleet in October 1945, and operated from Trincomalee, then Singapore, from October 1945 to October 1947. In 1952, the East Indies Fleet was redesignated the Far East Fleet. The Fleet then took part in the Malayan Emergency and the Confrontation with Indonesia in the 1960s. By 1964, the fleet on station included,,,,, 17 destroyers and frigates, about ten minesweepers and five submarines.
The Flag Officer Second-in-Command Far East Fleet, for most of the postwar period a rear admiral, was based afloat, and tasked with keeping the fleet "up to the mark operationally". Some also held the appointment of Flag Officer Commanding 5th Cruiser Squadron, probably including Rear Admiral E.G.A. Clifford CB, who was flying his flag in on 12 November 1953. Meanwhile, the fleet commander, a vice admiral, ran the fleet programme and major items of administration 'including all provision for docking and maintenance' from his base in Singapore.
The fleet was disbanded in 1971, and on 31 October 1971, the last day of the validity of the Anglo-Malayan Defence Agreement, the last Commander, Far East Fleet, Rear Admiral Anthony Troup, hauled down his flag.

Commander-in-Chief, Far East Fleet

Post holders included:

Flag Officer Second-in-Command Far East Fleet

Included:

Chief of Staff, Far East Fleet

Included:

Flag Officer, Malayan Area

As the Malayan Emergency developed, the Flag Officer, Malayan Area's title changed as his areas of responsibility increased.

Commodore, Amphibious Forces, Far East Fleet

Commodore, Amphibious Forces, Far East was based at HMNB Singapore from May 1965 to March 1971.
The Navy established the Amphibious Warfare Squadron in March 1961, which was responsible to the Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf until August 1962. It then was reassigned to Flag Officer, Middle East, until April 1965. The squadron was then transferred to the Far East where it was renamed Amphibious Forces under the new Commodore, Amphibious Forces, Far East Fleet in May 1965. The post was discontinued in March 1971.
Incumbents included:

Escorts in the Far East Fleet

From February 1963 the remaining destroyer and frigate squadrons in the Far East Fleet were gradually amalgamated into Escort Squadrons. All were disbanded by the end of December 1966. Those in the Far East Fleet became the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Far East Destroyer Squadrons.

Commodore-in-Charge, Hong Kong

This officer was based at HMS Tamar. He was responsible for administrating all naval establishments in Hong Kong including HMNB Hong Kong and, at times, exercised operational control over Royal Navy ships in that area.

Subordinate naval formations

Units that served in the fleet included:
Naval UnitsBased atDateNotes
4th Cruiser SquadronTrincomalee then Singapore Naval BaseDecember 1947 to July 1954
5th Cruiser SquadronTrincomalee then Singapore Naval BaseJanuary 1942 – May 1960
8th Destroyer FlotillaSingapore1947 to July 1951re-designated 8th DSQ
1st Destroyer SquadronSingapore1950 to April 1960
8th Destroyer SquadronSingaporeJuly 1951 – May 1963renamed 24th ESQ
1st Far East Destroyer SquadronSingaporeDecember 1966 to 1 November 1971
2nd Far East Destroyer SquadronSingaporeDecember 1966 to 1 November 1971
3rd Far East Destroyer SquadronSingaporeDecember 1966 to December 1970
1st Escort FlotillaSingapore1946 to 1954
21st Escort SquadronSingaporeMay 1964 to December 1966
22nd Escort SquadronSingaporeMay 1963 to June 1964became 29th Escort Squadron
24th Escort SquadronSingaporeMay 1963 to December 1966renamed from 8th DSQ
25th Escort SquadronSingaporeJanuary 1963 to May 1964renamed from 6th FSQ
26th Escort SquadronSingaporeMay 1963 to December 1966renamed from 3FSQ
29th Escort SquadronSingaporeJune 1964 to December 1966
30th Escort SquadronSingaporeSeptember 1964 to December 1965
3rd Frigate SquadronSingaporeMay 1949– 1954, January 1958 to May 1963renamed 26th ESQ
4th Frigate SquadronSingaporeJanuary 1949 to August 1954
4th Frigate SquadronSingaporeJanuary 1956 – December 1960
4th Frigate SquadronSingaporeSeptember 1961 to September 1962
5th Frigate SquadronSingaporeDecember 1959 to December 1962
6th Frigate SquadronSingaporeDecember 1960 to September 1961; September 1962 to January 1963Renamed 25th Escort Squadron
6th Mine Counter-Measures SquadronSingapore1962 to 1971
8th Mine Counter-Measures SquadronHong Kong1962 to 1967
6th Minesweeper FlotillaSingaporeAugust 1947 to 1951placed in reserve
6th Minesweeper SquadronSingapore1951 to June 1954new formation
104th Minesweeper SquadronSingapore1960 to 1962
120th Minesweeper SquadronHong Kong Naval Base1952 to 1962
7th Submarine DivisionSingapore1959
7th Submarine SquadronSingapore1966 to 1971
Persian Gulf DivisionJuffair Naval BaseJanuary 1942 to January 1954
Red Sea DivisionAden Naval BaseFebruary 1942 to January 1954